Automatic device for opening or closing spaces between rails at level crossings, &amp; c.



No. 674,748. Patented May 2!, I901. E. WADEY.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR OPENING 0R CLOSING SPACES BETWEEN RAILS AT LEVEL GROSSINGS, 8w.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1900.) (No Model.). 2 Sheets-8heet l.

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No. 674,748. Patented May 2|, l90l.

E. WADEY.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR OPENING 0R CLOSING SPACES BETWEEN RAILS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS, 8w.

(Appllcahon tiled Aug. 2, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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EDT/VIN WVADEY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR OPENING 0R CLOSING SPACES BETWEEN RAILS AT LEVEL CROSSINGS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 674,748, dated May 21, 1 901. Application filed August 2, 1900. serial No. 25,719. (No model.)

To 0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN WADEY, of the city of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful automatic device for opening or closing the spaces between the rails of railways at level crossings and for pro viding a continuous rolling-surface for the cylindrical parts of the tires of the wheels of railway'cars, locomotives, and other railwayvehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description or specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings and to the letters marked thereon.

My invention, which relates to improvements in level crossings for railways, has for its object to provide a continuous rolling-surface for the tires of a car, railway-train, 0r locomotive when passing over crossings of the kind well understood and known as level crossings; and it has also for its object to prevent the blows and consequent shakings or tremors due to those blows to all of the parts of a railway car, train, or locomotive when passing over such level crossings, besides also preventing the gradual destruction or wearing off of both the ends of the rails between which the spaces are formed for the flanges of the wheels to pass through as a car, train, or locomotive passes over any part of a railway where level crossings are situated.

My invention consists of a portion of a rail which is so supported as to be capable of horizontal movement, and in the upper part of this piece of rail adjacent and at right angles to any one of the rails of the lines of railway crossing each other there is rigidly attached a T-shaped piece with somewhat rounded extremities, which T-shaped piece fits into the space where at any two of the rails of a level crossing meet at right angles to each other, the arrangement being such that the rounded heads of these T-shaped pieces are situated with the upper surface of the T-shaped head flush with the top table of the rails and with the rounded heads of the T-shaped pieces facing in opposite directions in line with the rail to which the said apparatus is applied to be operated in conjunction with. This movable piece is acted upon by a spring in such wise that the outer end of the T-shaped head is always pressed against the inner side of the head of the rail, excepting at such times when a car or a train or a locomotive is passing, at which times the flanges of the wheels of the car or train or locomotive by pressing against either of the rounded ends of the T-shaped heads force back the T-shaped head and its connections in order to allow the flanges of the tires of the wheels of a car, train, or locomotive to open the track and close behind them again so long as each wheel is passing over each opening which it crosses in the level crossing.

When any Wheel of a car, train, or locomotive is passing over or through a level crossing provided with such apparatus as that which constitutes my invention, the cylindrical part of the tire of the wheel receives continuous support or continuous rolling contact-surface, partly from the T-shaped head of the movable apparatus situated at right angles to the direction in which the car, train, or locomotive is running, and passes over the gap by actually rolling upon the T-shaped portion of the head first and then upon the tail-shaped portion of the T-shaped head until the tire has completely crossed the gap, when it runs upon the otherwise continuous rail, it being here explained that although the T-shaped head of my device does not completely fill the space in the gaps between the rails at a level crossing, yet that the cylindrical part of the tire being much broader than such partly non -filled spaces rolls continuously upon a surface which is practically of continuous level, while the T-shaped piece yields to the passage of the flanges of each tire.

I have hereinbefore described my invention as applied to only one of the rails of a level crossing; but it is to be understood that this device is always used in duplicate and that any other device similar to that which I have hereinbefore described is applied to the opposite rail of any pair of rails of alevel crossing and that both movable devices are operated by a spring placed between their inner ends, so as to simultaneously force them outward against the inner edges of the top table of the rails of each pair of rails in a level crossing.

The movable parts of this device are preferably situated between two fixed portions of rails, one of which is the line-rail, which are recessed to allow the T-head of the movable central part of the device to be slid inward and outward as the wheels of a car, train, or locomotive passes over or through a level crossing. Between these fixed portions of rails and the movable portion ofthe device bolts extend, and the movable portions are formed with horizontal slots to admit of these portions being forced backward and forward upon the bolts by flanges of the wheels and the reaction of the springs.

Upon the annexed drawings, Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, showing my device as applied to closing a space on the inner side of one of the rails of a level crossing. Fig.2 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my device, showing the rails partly in section. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the movable part of my said device shown pushed back by the flange of the tire of a wheel of a passing car, train, or locomotive. Fig. 5 is a general plan of a level crossing, showing two lines of railway crossing each other at right angles to each other and with the device constituting my invention applied to each of the lines of crossing.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the rail A is the right-hand rail of a line of railway in the direction wherein a vehicle, train, or locomotive is, for the sake of explaining my invention, assumed to be traveling, and, as shown by these figures, the gap between that rail and the rail B at right angles thereto is partly closed by the T-head O. The T-head O is riveted or otherwise securely fixed to the sliding piece D, which is held between the main line-rail B and the short piece of auxiliary rail E. The rails B and E are formed with recesses F of a depth equal to the thickness of the T-head C, so that when the flange G of the tire (shown at Fig. 4) presses upon either of the rounded ends of the head the flange of the tire forces the head 0, together with the piece of rail D, inward and compresses the spring H, contained in the tube I, between the two pieces D D of each division of the level crossing. By this arrangement the spring H is compressed in opposite directions at the same in stant by means of the inner ends of the portions D D being made of a size small enough to pass within the tube I I and pressing simultaneously upon each disk J, covering each end of the spiral spring 11. Instantly with the flange G of any pair of wheels having passed out of contact with the T-head C then the spring H forces each portion D, with its T-head O, back into its normal position against the rail A, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, in readiness to be again pushed back for opening the crossing by every successive wheel or pair of wheels of a passing car, train, or 10- comotive. The portions D of each movable part of my device rest upon the plate L, carried upon the ties or transoms of a line of railway, thereby giving rigid horizontal support to the movable pieces I), which movable pieces D are formed so as to fit slidably between the linerail B and the outer rail E at the head of the rails, while the flange at the bottom of the sliding pieces D is made of such a width as to fit slidably between the flanges of the rails B and the outer rails E, while at the same time resting upon the plate L, so that when taking off the movable plate 0 from any one of the divisionsof a level crossing and by removing the bolts M the portions D and their attachments can at once be lifted out of their operative positions and cleaned or when necessary repaired, while at the same time the under surfaces of the portions D and the surfaces of the plates L, upon which they slide, are easily oiled or greased, and by this arrangement complete and continuous support of the T-shaped heads 0 O Q Q and the sliding pieces D is provided, so that the wheels of a car, train, or locomotive pass over the entire level crossing smoothly.

For the purpose of enabling access to be had to the spring portion of the device between each of the portions D D, so that the same may be oiled or greased, and for the purpose of enabling oil or grease to be applied to the movable parts of the apparatus generally the movable plates 0, applied over those portions of my apparatus which when fastened to the inner rail E of the crossing by bolts P into a recess made to admit the covering-plates O in the rails E and partly in the rail B, so that the upper portion of the plate 0 will lie flush with the upper tables of the rails A, B, and E.

While I have described and shown in connection with Figs. 1 to 4 of the annexed drawings my apparatus as applied to one gap in a level crossing, I desire it to be understood that the said apparatus is applied to each gap of the level crossing and that the T-head part in Fig. 1 is a similar T-head with the same connections as the T-head marked 0 O in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with connections as hereinbefore described and operating in connection with the line of railway at right angle to that line of railway with which the T-head O operates.

From the description hereinbefore given of the device constituting my invention it will be easily understood that the said device is intended to operate in connection with each of the gaps formed by level'crossings shown in the plan in Fig. and that while in the two upper crossings of Fig. 5 a guard-rail R is shown in connection with each side of the level crossings, yet such guard-rail is not in all cases necessarily part circular in crossings for street-railways wherein the speed of travel of a car, train, or locomotive-engine or other hauling apparatus is much less than upon an ordinary crossing of a country railway whether operated by locomotive-engines or by other motive power.

I would have it understood that my invention includes such changes and modifications in the shape of the device and its parts as may fall within the terms and scope of the following claims.

I claim 1. The device for closing and admitting of the opening of the gaps in level-crossings of railways, consisting of two somewhat T- shaped heads, each such T-shaped head fastened to or forming part of a sliding piece of rail, two sliding pieces of rail being in line with each other and having a compressed spring between these sliding pieces, the pressure of which spring endwise and simultaneously upon each pair of sliding pieces forces them and the T-shaped heads outward so as to maintain the gap or gaps in level crossings normally closed, but which gaps are opened when the flanges of the Wheels of a railway car, train or locomotive pass through or over a level crossing, said T-shaped heads when forced outward by the flanges of the wheels providing part of the continuous support for the cylindrical treads of the wheels, so that the blows or percussions which occur in respect of level crossings are obviated, all in the manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth. 7

2. The combination of the T-shaped gapclosing pieces, the sliding rails to which the T-shaped gap-closing pieces are attached, the spring for forcing the opposite T-shaped gapclosing pieces against the inner edges of the top table of the rails and the bottom plate upon which the movable and fixed parts of the automatic gap -closing portions of the crossing slide, also the bolts and the horizontal slots in the sliding portions of the device all operating together in the manner and for the purposes, substantially as described. 3. The automatic device for closing and opening the gaps of level crossings of railways consisting of the T-shaped closingpieces, the sliding pieces to which these T- shaped heads are attached or form part of, the outer auxiliary rails, the springs between and in'line with the sliding pieces for forcing back the sliding T-shaped heads and their connections and the plate upon which the sliding pieces, the springs and the outer rails are carried, all operating in the manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this 21st day of June, 1900, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. EDWIN WVADEY. [L. s] Witnesses:

ST. JOHN DAY, ELMER O. SIMoNs. 

